AY - 3) One of a Kind - Grant
by Cpt. Kallan Beyda
Summary: Set in the Academy Years Universe. In this episode we see a glimpse into Grant Hanson's home life. His wife understands the demands of his career yet continually feels the suffering of their children as he miss their milestones. Can he get to his daughters birthday party in time to save his marriage?


'International rescue control,' Senior Captain Grant Hanson's gravelly voice announced to the Arcology flight deck, 'the Thunderbirds are on final approach.'

Standing beside Commander Simpson, Kallan watched as TB3 left the main link up. Dylan disengaged next, heading for his hanger. Jesse reported the final vehicle descending. It brought a smile to the young woman's face. The next time they went out, she'd be part of the team.

'We're all in the nest Commander Simpson,' Grant's image appeared on the main screen.

'That was an excellent training run Grant,' Warren kept his tone and expression neutral. None of his pilots would like his next order. He'd bet they endure the procedure for the much needed vacation time. 'Now have everyone report to medical for their annual check-up, then they've got the weekend off. I guess you wouldn't want your family to forget about you.'

'My family,' Grant acknowledged turning off the screen. The memory of his last communication with Michaela, his almost six year old daughter came unbidden.

'Daddy,' she appealed to his fathering instincts in a childish voice, 'you won't be late for my birthday party will you?'

'Of course not sweetheart,' Grant promised from his office within Arcology.

They'd spoken for several minutes before Caroline asked their daughter to go and play with her four year old brother Samuel in the other room. Things had been strained between them for some time. At first the notoriety amused. With the birth of their children the media interest in a Thunderbird Captain's family became intrusive. Caroline loathed being left alone, bearing most of the responsibility for raising their children when she wanted to return to work. Sighing, Grant allowed his wife vent.

'To you, your work has always come first, Grant,' she accused. 'I've lived with that for so long but she's just a child and needs a full time father.'

'Caroline,' Grant couldn't deny the allegation.

He spent four years at the IRO academy, three stationed on TB6 and the space colonies project after being accepted into the Thunderbird training program. Another four years on the back up team before gaining the navigators role aboard TB2. A year later he'd been assigned TB4 as his primary vehicle until his promotion to Senior Captain.

He'd met Caroline while on the back up team. She'd travelled this path with him for thirteen years, eleven as his wife. Leaving her career to start a family, she'd never gone back. The cracks appeared three years ago, after he'd been put in charge of the team. The role demanded more of his time and energy. Initially his wife coped with two children below the age of three almost single handily.

'I've had enough,' Caroline announced, 'I'm leaving you.'

'I can't stop you,' Grant managed to keep the hurt out of his tone, 'but I'd like to talk more about this tonight when I get home. I know we have our problems and they're not going to be easily fixed, but I'd like to try.'

'I guess,' the woman deflated before his eyes, 'that depends on you, Grant. You've promised your daughter you'll be at her party. Don't let her down.'

'I won't,' he stated.

'I'm taking the kid's back to England until the weekend,' Caroline announced. 'I need time to think about our future together.'

'Caroline,' Grant captured her eyes, 'I love you.'

'That's the trouble,' she returned sadly, 'I love you too. Sometimes I feel you love the Thunderbirds more.'

_Had that conversation occurred the day before yesterday?_ Grant wondered. He'd spent a long lonely night in the family size apartment, considering Caroline's words. He loved his job but he loved his family too. He'd do anything to get to Michaela's party.

'Hey, Chief,' Jesse's face appeared on the screen, 'Little John and I are off to Medical. We're meeting Dylan there. You got any plans for the weekend?'

'Yes,' Grant allowed the ghost of a smile to cover his face.

The weekend didn't quite turn out the way he, or the rest of the team expected. A fire in the Rocky Mountain Preserve near a nuclear reactor in La Port cancelled their leave. What should have been a simple job became complicated by locating a cybernetic deer and its human counterpart.

Tension mounting, Grant's decision to take TB3 into a boggy area forced Dylan to delay deploying foam bombs. TB1 came to the rescue as the ninety ton vehicle sand into quick sand. Meanwhile, Jesse in TB12 reported a wind change. It brought the fire closer to the reactor.

Sweating at the pressure he'd placed on himself, Grant's anger boiled over. The fawn and its mother looked at him with wide, startled eyes. They reminded him of all he'd lost this last week.

'Don't be late, Daddy,' pleaded his young daughter, 'don't be too late, Daddy.'

'Doesn't your family mean anything to you anymore,' Caroline's voice accused.

Dylan's voice came over the com, urging him to move faster. Adjusting the venerers, he found the rivulets of perspiration clouding his helmet. In an instant of self-doubt and recrimination, his world crashed in upon him. The stress he'd been managing exploded in a fit of rage.

'I can't do it,' he smashed his fist into the console. 'I need my family. I'm nothing without them.'

JJ issued a warning. Jesse demanded Dylan get the bombs away. Captain Beyda tried to coax Grant into immediate action. Listening, and aware his senior Captain had an issue he'd kept from the rest of the team, Simpson added his anxiety to the others.

'If you can't retrieve them,' he ordered, 'you'll have to abandon the creatures,'

For a moment, Caroline and Michaela stood before him. The vision forced him into action. 'I've got to fight this,' Grant's mind demanded he dig deep, finding the strength of character to get on with his mission. 'If I'm no good at my job, I'm no good for anything. But this is what I've chosen. If they really love me, they'll understand that.'

Setting the controls, he fired the escape pod. Dylan's idea of taking the fawn worked. Its mother followed immediately. Grant wondered if the universe wanted him to take a lesson from this unusual rescue. If it did, he'd have to think about it later. Right now, he needed to get back to TB3 and stable ground. Only the specially designed fire fighting missiles on TB1 would be affective in stopping the fire.

It took them another hour to ensure the flames wouldn't reignite. Finding a rangers station close to the research facility, Kallan let the deer and her fawn out. Park staff brought water while the team watched on.

'Home,' Grant watched the mother and her baby re-enter the forest. He couldn't help notice the symbolism, the synchrony with his own situation. Goliath would re-join them soon, just as he'd try to convince his family to return to Arcology. 'I've got just enough time to make it home for a special Birthday Party.'

'Speaking of Parties,' Dylan announced after they bid the animal's farewell, 'I've got a date in Hawaii tonight. You up for dinner with a retired Commodore, Kallan?'

Eye's sparkling, she nodded. 'I'd forgotten its Friday night.'

'So let's get our birds back in the nest,' Jesse seemed impatient. 'I'd like to spend some time with a real live female type.'

'Seems everyone has somewhere to go except me,' JJ complained.

'Michaela,' Grant greeted his daughter, dressed in casual civvies.

'Daddy,' she screamed above the noise of twenty six years old girls, 'you made it, Daddy.'

'I'm learning to keep my promises,' Grant added, his eyes spearing his wife's over his daughters shoulder.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. They'd discuss this later, once she'd put the children to bed. Grant drove them home, read his children a bedtime story, tucked them in and finally forced his wife to sit while he made coffee.

'What's brought this on?' Caroline asked as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

'I rescued a deer and her fawn today,' Grant retold the story. 'I love you and our family, Caroline. When you met me, I'd spent years training for my position. We knew it would be hard, a relationship with the hours I keep. Brining the kids into the equation, it's added another level of stress.'

'For me,' she added, trying to stay calm. 'Your never around anymore, Grant. You've missed Michaela's dance recital, Samuel's first day at school and that's just this year. How much more are you willing to give up for the Thunderbirds?'

'That's just it,' he took in a deep calming breath, 'you love me for the person I am. Taking away my position at the IRO, you're asking me to give up part of myself. There has to be middle ground, a compromise.'

'I lived in a fish bowl for eleven years now,' Caroline tried to explain. 'I can't move outside of Arcology without someone recognising me and wanting to know what it like to be the wife of The Senior Thunderbird Captain. It's exactly the opposite when we're there. None of the other team members have wives or partners. It's lonely, Grant with only the children.'

'You've made friends,' he looked dumbfounded.

'They move away when their contract with the IRO ends or they're posting up,' Caroline sighed. She'd thought this would go a lot worse. Normally, one of them would become irritated. Grant really wanted to solve this, she could tell by the amount of effort he put in to understand her point of view.

'What if you went back to work?' he suggested.

'How?' Caroline felt her resentment building. 'We have two children who barely see their father now. You want them to think their mother's abandoned them too?'

'Your job,' Grant lowered his voice, forcing his wife to listen intently, 'has always been office based with hours to match. You could even work from home if you wanted, at least some of the time. I'm sure we can afford help, to lighten your load. Caroline,' moving closer to her, he stayed far enough away not to touch, 'I don't want you to feel isolated. If works not what you want, then what do you propose.'

'I want you attention as much as the children,' she found the tears streaming down her face. 'I want my husband home for dinner most nights of the week. I want to sit at the table like a family and not worry that this time he might not come home at all. I want a warm body in the bed next to me, not one who's communicator goes off at all hours of the night and day.'

'I can't give you that,' Grant's head drooped as he shoulders slumped in defeat. 'I never could.'

'I know,' Caroline agreed. 'When it was just you and me, I could cope with that. Now, I make up excuses for you. It kills me when our children ask why daddy can't read them a bed time story and tuck them in. They don't understand he's off saving the world. Frankly, I'm beginning to agree with them.'

Nodding in defeat, Grant collected the empty cups. 'I'm going to sleep in the spare room. Are you taking the kids back to England tomorrow?'

'I think that would be best,' she answered, unable to look up. 'I can't believe it's ending like this.'

'I don't know what else to do, Caroline,' Grant's hurt made his voice lower. 'I don't have another compromise to offer you.'

'Can't you try to be home more?' she finally cried. 'That's all we want.'

'I can try,' Grant wanted to hope it would be enough. In his heart he knew it wouldn't be. 'I can't promise. Can I come with you to England for the rest of the weekend? We're officially on leave. Commander Simpson's initiated the backup team for the next two days. I know it's not much, but it's a start, if you're willing to take it.'

Nodding, Caroline made the move into his arms. He knew it would take more than forty eight hours to fix the cracks in his marriage. Still he could make a start, spending time with his children and wife. Mentally, he attempted to move his schedule around. Much of the administration work could be pushed onto a personal assistant, maybe even Caroline could take on the job. It might kill two birds with one stone. Kept in the loop, she'd have a greater appreciation of his role and the importance to millions of people on and off the planet.

_I'll discuss it with her later_, Grant decided, happy for the moment to have the woman he'd always loved in his arms. _Maybe by then, I'll have come up with some other ideas._


End file.
